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0 Tiny Garden, a cozy gardening game developed by Ao Norte and published by Super Rare Originals, has finally made its way onto the Switch on February 26th! This version includes all currently available DLCs, including the Summer Breeze Cosmetic Pack and the Supporter’s Pack, adding a lot more customization to the game.
I choose you!
I’ve heard a ton of great things about Tiny Garden back when it released for PC, so I jumped at the opportunity to get my hands on the newly released Switch version! Most cozy games will eventually make their way to the Switch, but really, some ports are more “miss” than “hit”. Do you have any games that you would love to see ported? Or maybe any ports that you were extremely disappointed by? Let me know in the comments!
Gameplay
Tiny Garden begins by handing you a little, round capsule that opens up to reveal a tiny world inside. With one level for your garden patch and another for decor, it radiates pure nostalgia, like an old Polly Pocket set almost. One area to live in, and one for play!
The rhythm of the game is very simple: You grab your seeds, plant them into the soil, turn the crank on the side of the capsule and watch them grow! Turning the crank progresses the game by one…well…turn. Every plant has got its own little schedule and preferences, needing a certain amount of turns or a special type of soil to grow. Once a plant has bloomed, you can trade it in for new, different seeds. You start off with only a handful of plants, but over time, you can unlock even more varieties and sets, like farm crops, wild seeds, and more! Unlocking a new seed set will also give you more planting space in your garden. Believe me, you will absolutely need it if you want to maximize on different soil patches.
The Puzzle Aspect
Managing the soil in your little capsule is a larger part of the game than you might think! Certain items or plants can transform the ground around them. For example, a cactus will create an arid area around it, while a water fountain floods the patches in front of it. But if you plant a cactus next to a water patch, it combines the two effects into a new, third one: a nice patch of farmland, great for potatoes and other crops. Just be careful not to shift any soil while things are still growing on it! Plants are very picky about the ground they are planted in. If the soil type changes while the plant is mid-growth, it will wither away and eventually rot. This does fertilize the ground though, so you can use it to your advantage if you have enough seeds to spare.
There is a surprising amount of strategy involved in the later plant unlocks of the game. This is a puzzle game after all. Most seeds will require long chains of specific plants to unlock, which can get a little tedious if you try to unlock everything. Fortunately, as there is no time limit, the vibe still stays cozy and it rarely feels overwhelming.
The only thing that does stress me out a bit are the controls and the menu. You can tell that this game wasn’t exactly built with a controller in mind. It takes a minute to get used to it, and especially aiming at the specific garden spots took quite some practice to get right. But that really is my biggest pain point.
Graphics & Audio
The graphics of Tiny Garden are very cartoony and simple, making the capsule look almost like a real plastic toy! You can really make it your own by trading in some plants for furniture and stickers to deck out the top half of your space. There is a surprising amount of customization. But the most fun part is that you can change the colors of your decor and even the plants themselves to unlocked palettes. You can also change the theme of the background to completely change the vibe of your tiny world.
Another downside, however, is the audio. It is really difficult for me to give a fair assessment of it, as the game is really, really quiet. Even with my Switch at max volume and my headphones on, I could barely hear a thing. I know that cozy games are meant to be chill and calm, but a volume slider would have gone a long way here. As it stands, I just don’t feel like I am able to say much about the music or effects. Apparently, the PC version has also struggled with this, but at least there you can turn your system volume up higher than on the Switch.
Longevity
How long this game lasts really depends on the kind of player you are. If you’re a completionist or a cozy-puzzle enthusiast, you may get a lot of mileage out of it. Unlocking every single plant, furniture piece, and customization will definitely take at least a few hours.
There is even some lore that you can unlock. You can receive letters by finishing little side missions. Some ask for specific furniture layouts, others ask for certain landscapes, like the one in the screenshot above. These little missions can also add a bit of extra playtime on top.
Ultimately, how much time you spend on this game is entirely up to you.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Tiny Garden is a lovely little puzzle game that is filled with whimsy and nostalgia. The puzzles are engaging without being tedious, the art style is cute, and the vibes are definitely there. I do, however, have to deduct quite a few points for the clunky controls and the practically non-existent audio. Even with that, the core gameplay loop is still satisfying, though I would recommend picking the game up on PC instead, if that is an option for you.
With that being said, I am giving the Nintendo Switch version of Tiny Garden the Thumb Culture Silver Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
If you enjoyed this review, why not check out Charlotte’s review of the PC version of this game!
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